


Stakecation all I ever wanted

by Anonymous



Category: The Maze Runner (Movies)
Genre: Brief mention of Brenda/Minho, By the bucket, Fluff, Gally is a tease, Glader Slang, Kissing, M/M, Neck Kissing, Post-The Death Cure, Rated underage because Thomas, Sexual Tension, Sharing a Bed, Swearing, Thomas has a dream about Gally, Thomas is clumsy, and he knows EXACTLY what he's doing to Thomas, somewhat Unresolved Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-13
Updated: 2020-06-23
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:28:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,567
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24703816
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: Two months after arriving on the island, Thomas and Gally are put on surveillance detail to stakeout a new discovery. Neither are particularly thrilled about spending three days in each other’s company alone, but hey, what Vince says goes.(I'm not proud of the title)
Relationships: Gally/Thomas (Maze Runner)
Comments: 7
Kudos: 80
Collections: Anonymous





	1. Village idiots

The concept of a stakeout appears so otherworldly that it hadn't even crossed Thomas's mind as an option. The thought of waiting for danger to present itself, rather than stepping up to meet it eye to eye, seems foreign to him. 

The village that had been found on their island was a great source of excitement for everyone in the camp. Half were talking about moving in, the other half wanted to repurpose the wood and materials so they could stay by the sea. 

Thomas was unconvinced of either idea, but after almost two months of settling into the island and trying to find his place, he was ready for a change. Even if that meant watching a seemingly deserted town for a few days. 

Vince had herded Thomas, Gally, Brenda and a couple of others into an empty tent for a briefing before they were to head out. It quickly became cramped as they filed in. The sunlight turned grey-green as it filtered through the canvas ceiling, dyeing their faces an odd hue. Vince explained everything to them quickly and curtly, leaving time for questions at the end, like a primary school teacher. 

"Why are we," Thomas motioned between himself and Gally, "a team?" 

He was beginning to question Vince's judgement (as well as his sanity) and, according to the skeptical expression plastering his face, Gally was right there with him. 

"Yeah, couldn't we be paired with, well, anyone else?" Gally chipped in, ignoring Thomas's elbow indignantly digging into his ribcage. 

"That's just how it is, kid, I trust your decisions, you're both able-bodied, and," he paused, slamming the large book on the fold-out desk shut for effect, "you won't distract each other."

Neither boy had an answer to that, so they just shared a glance before nodding. The ‘sure, old man’ was evident on both of their features. Vince was stubborn as a mule and they both knew he wasn't going to assign them different stakeout partners. They would just have to make do. 

"So. There's a shack with a pretty damn adamant lock, and it overlooks the village- that's where you'll be staying. You'll be out there for three days, then the next stakeout team will arrive to tag in. Anything unusual; write it down," he paused, "also don't do anything stupid and get yourself caught in a trap or whatever. We have no idea what’s out there, so don’t go exploring. This is just reconnaissance, got it?" 

Thomas just nodded again. Behind Vince's rough exterior, he could see genuine care and concern for his and Gally's wellbeing. The man didn't like to show it, but he was clearly worried that their fight might not be over. That something disastrous was waiting just around the corner. 

"Good. I'll see you in three days" with that, Vince made a beeline for the exit, squeezing past Gally and another girl around his age. She wore the same Medical Personnel armband as Brenda. 

"Well..." Thomas announced as they picked up two backpacks that Vince had motioned to. Food, water, a decrepit-looking notepad, pencils, torches, a first-aid kit, and an ungodly amount of weapons. 

"Well." Gally agreed. He hoisted his pack onto his back. He didn’t look too delighted at their situation. 

"Be safe out there, ok?" Brenda told Thomas as they all made for the door at the same time, causing a stifled traffic jam of people. 

"Eh," he shrugged, "it's just an empty village- those kids probably saw racoons or birds or something." 

"Still..." Brenda looked worried, and Thomas couldn't blame her after everything they'd been through. He had doubts himself but refused to show it. Instead, he gave her a hug and started in the direction of the North side of the camp. A flash of blue beside him told him that Minho had flanked them. 

"You guys going already?" He asked, keeping in step with the two towards the edge of the camp. 

"Yeah. Gotta get there by sundown," Thomas had been given awfully specific instructions. Minho grunted in affirmation. 

"Good luck I guess, don't die" 

"Don't worry, Greenie's got me" Gally puffed his chest out in mock bravado. 

"Exactly," Thomas patted Gally's bicep, "my human shield. I can just throw him in harm's way and bolt it" 

Gally shoved him into Minho with no real malice and the other two laughed. 

"Well, have fun out there. Don't do anything I wouldn't do!" Minho added, wiggling his eyebrows at Thomas as he left, jogging back towards the steadily rising bonfire. He had been given the prestigious task of preventing their settlement from setting alight. 

Tents from their previous camp and small wooden structures (courtesy of Gally's team of Builders) littered the area at the heart of their living space. The tents had managed to stay standing through two heavy storms, but sand from the dunes had found its way into every single fucking one. It was endless. Little yellow grains of perpetual annoyance. 

Thomas and Gally started bickering the minute they left the camp. One step outside the sturdy fence limit and they'd already managed to reach a disagreement. Both knew it would probably only get worse so Gally stepped up onto the metaphorical high road by asking a legitimate question. 

"I'm a bit out of the loop, Greenie, why exactly are we staking out a village? Surely, we could just go in; it's got to be deserted anyway, right?" 

"You know about those kids, uh, Miguel and the other one - the one with the name - Kayleiauh, right?" Thomas coughed instead of pronouncing the latter half of her name. 

"Sure. Vowel Girl." 

"Well, they were foraging and, long story short, they went too far, like five miles out, and found a village. They claim to have seen signs of life in it, maybe multiple people," Thomas decided to let his mouth talk on its own, "they just called them 'large shapes' shifting around. Some ghoulish sounds too. They seemed pretty spooked." 

He was almost astonished by how unsurprised either of them were by this discovery. Thomas guessed that if there was a new danger, they wanted to get it out of the way sooner rather than later. Two months without a hitch had been great, but the opportunity for things to go horribly wrong would always hang over them. 

"Miguel took Brenda and I to the village last week, and it seems like the real deal, aside from some busted windows. Like they even had power there at some point. Also we're just the first of five stakeout teams so don't expect any gold medals for bravery when they tag us out. This'll happen for two weeks and with any luck, we'll see nothing, and everything'll be hunky-dory." 

"Since when has luck been our forte, huh?" Gally asked. Thomas had to agree with him on that. 

After the brisk forty-minute trek, Thomas lead Gally up a tall hill. The winding, dusty path was covered in twigs and leaves, and on either side were dotted thickets of a matted plant. They didn't bother talking on the way up the steep slope, just concentrated on maintaining their balance, sweat beading on their foreheads from the heat and exertion. 

Halfway up, the air grew thinner, and Gally hoped it would improve once they were down the other side. Thomas knew what he was doing, but it didn't stop Gally from second-guessing every single thing the boy in front of him did. 

Thomas glanced up at the top of the hill as he took his next step, but his foot must have hit a smooth rock, because his shoe lost grip. He flailed, trying to find something solid to grab as he slid backwards. He felt himself hit something, and that something grunted and held him up long enough to obtain his footing once more. 

"You're so shucking heavy for a skinny guy. Where do you hide it all, shank?" Gally puffed in strangely good humour as Thomas scrambled uphill once more, realising they were just a few feet from the top. Thomas just scoffed. Gally adjusted his backpack and followed. The sun had to be about half an hour from disappearing and shrouding them in the type of thick darkness you only grow accustomed to on an island with no streetlights. 

Luckily, as they crested the hill, rooftops came into view below. Some had rustic chimney pots and thatched roofs, others had tiles or logs to bear the brunt of the weather. Bricked-up windows and charred wooden planks told them of the history there. 

Thomas, yet again, lost his footing, trying to grapple with the mildly sloped ground. He yelped but felt Gally's strong hand wrap around his arm, preventing him from trundling unceremoniously down the hill on his back. 

"Next time I'll let you fall, dumbass" 

"Gracious as always, Mountain Goat Man" Thomas commented, grinning up at him as he pushed himself back to his feet, leaning heavily on the guy above him. Thomas was convinced that he could fall from five metres up and Gally still wouldn't flinch when he - somewhat reluctantly - caught him. The guy was made of iron or something. The thought piqued something in his erased memory, but he couldn't grasp it. 

They could see the rest of the village now below them, barely more than two hundred feet away. It looked eery in the dying light. A complex inner circle of cottages formed a town square of sorts, and many more lined the outer areas, some further away. It was large enough that the other side became blurry as it stretched down the hill. No light emanated from the houses. Just dusty doorways and rusted windows. 

One shack appeared closer than the rest, and Gally realised Thomas was already making his way down the slope towards it. He hurriedly followed. It had a higher vantage point which he assumed was why they'd chosen it as the hideout. Maybe it used to be a night watch facility. 

Once he'd joined Thomas at the door, he could see the boy twisting the handle and entering, coughing when a plume of dust rose up from inside. Blackness enveloped Thomas as he faded into the shack. The sun had all but vanished below the horizon. Gally heard Thomas try a light switch, and rolled his eyes. 

"There won’t be any power will there? Shuck-face..." Gally followed the boy in, retrieving the torch from his pack. It clicked on, cutting through the charred darkness, and illuminating some cobwebs in the far corner of the ceiling. 

"Just being optimistic, dude" Thomas said, the shrug apparent in his voice. 

Gally waved the torch around evenly. A single room lay before them with three wooden chairs, a bed, and tartan curtains that looked ready for a blitz. A cupboard lay on the floor, as if someone had ripped it from another house and taken it as their own. 

“Home sweet home” Gally muttered, kicking a small rock that had found its way into the shack.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don’t you love chapters devoted to setup? A bit tedious I know, but if you like it, stick around ‘cause I’ll be updating shortly (the whole thing is already written, just gotta edit). Also I'm having small brain trouble with AO3, so if anything is out of place, please tell me.


	2. Burning the midnight oil

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first night doesn't go exactly according to plan.

Once they were settled, they felt more at ease. Gally's crossbow lay within reaching distance against the cupboard. He could easily reach out and grab it if they heard a noise outside. A rustling in the room garnered his attention and he glanced over at the other boy. 

"Where'd you get a shucking sword?" Gally exclaimed as Thomas seemingly produced it from nowhere. 

"Minho found it," he bounced it around in his hands almost expertly, making Gally a little nervous. The boy was clumsy as hell (not that he’d been watching him) and a sword was a disaster waiting to happen. Thomas continued once the weapon was laid safely on the floor, "he tried out with Dig Team before getting in with the Explorers. Said I could find a use for it, something about sword fighting." 

Gally held back a chuckle as the joke was clearly lost on Thomas. 

As if their weapons weren't hazardous enough, the knives held pride of place on the crude wooden mantel piece. Their packs rested by the door and a dim battery-powered lamp had been lit in the corner of the room. The most important part of the shack, however, were the windows. 

Once they'd eaten dinner (tinned tomatoes, a sliver of rabbit meat and foraged berries), Gally switched the lamp off and pushed the heavy curtains aside, revealing the village in all its barren glory. Or at least trying to, but the sun was nowhere to be seen. 

A light wind had picked up and began caressing the shack in subtle recognition of its stability. It wasn't late, but the moonlight had virtually no bearing on Thomas and Gally's sight. 

"It’ll be kinda pointless keeping watch at night" Gally mentioned, his nose pressed to the glass even though he couldn't see. Thomas joined him at the window for no reason, staring into the same blackness. 

"Vince told us to, but I guess he didn't account for it being a literal abyss down there" Thomas pondered, "I mean we may as well listen for as long as we can tonight just in case we hear something freaky. We'll sleep in shifts." 

Gally nodded, for once not picking a fight, "good that."

They'd shoved the bed against the wall furthest from the door and stuck one of the knives under the pillow, old habits creeping in. The sight of bedding had actually startled them at first, being the first fully soft thing they'd laid eyes on in months. 

Gally takes the first shift, once it gets late enough to sleep, and Thomas doesn't complain. He hadn't slept very well the previous night either, knowing he'd be away from everyone. Well, everyone except Gally. But he gradually realised it wasn't so bad. They were only a forty-minute walk away. Twenty, maybe fifteen at a sprint over the rough terrain. 

As Thomas is drifting off in the surprisingly comfortable bed, he's vaguely aware of Gally's soft breathing just a couple of feet away. He feels the boy’s gaze on his face but doesn't open his eyes. Then he's out. 

Around four hours pass and Gally is slowly losing his will to live. His eyes had adjusted to the darkness just enough to see the outlines of the houses. He'd been tempted to turn the torch on but knew that would blind him once more. 

"See anything?" Thomas asked once he'd been shaken awake. He stood, yawning. 

"Nothing, dude. Like, actual, literal nothingness. It's depressing." He patted Thomas’s shoulder sarcastically, “have fun”

So Thomas began his shift of utter oblivion. Just him and his thoughts. Gally's light snoring was the only thing that brought structure to the experience. The occasional howl of a fox cut through the air too, only adding to the sinister atmosphere. He was glad for the wooden chairs being the right height to sit on while staring out of the window. If he’d have had to stand, he’d surely have developed some form of scoliosis from which his back would never recover. 

Seconds turned to minutes and the minutes just kept being minutes, refusing to go any faster. If a horde of angry Cranks materialised out of nowhere, Thomas would have leapt at the chance to batter them. Pure boredom had taken hold and, to top it off, he'd also begun to shiver. The nights on the island were as cold as the days were hot. 

Instead of freezing to death, he decided to twist around and feel for the coat that the Gally had left on the back of the chair. He grabbed it and pulled it on. It was loose and long but felt like just what he needed. He didn't care much if Gally minded, figuring the boy could glare at him as much as he wanted. Which was a lot. 

Two long hours of bleak nothingness went by and Thomas's resolve began to waver. He'd kept by the window, huddled in the oversized jacket for long enough, and not seen a single thing. Eventually, his legs had gone numb and he’d stood, stretching them to the best of his ability. It wouldn't be a travesty if he just went to sleep, would it? Vince wouldn’t find out…

"Stop pacing" Gally's sleep-filled voice uttered in a muffled grumble from beneath the duvet. 

"Sorry..." Thomas drawled distractedly, disconcerted at the sudden interruption. That was it, the moment he decided he'd ditch his observational duties and sleep. 

"Just, get in here" Thomas heard a shuffle and a thunk as Gally hit the wall that the bed was placed against. He'd made room for Thomas. The younger boy was glad for the shadowy gloom in the shack, which hid his face becoming stained with a red blush. He decided to unpick that later, too enticed with the thought of sleep. 

Thomas felt his way towards the bed, his toes violently locating all three of the wooden chairs before he got there. He knelt on the edge of the mattress before feeling around for where he was meant to lay. Once the side of his head hit the pillow, he felt Gally's hot breath on the back of his neck. Thomas tried to ignore how it felt - how his body arched closer to the rhythmic exhalations without his permission - and closed his eyes. 

Then Gally's arm found its way across his waist, tugging him closer. Half-asleep Gally was so much more affectionate than regular Gally. 

"Is that my jacket?" he sounded like he was sleep-talking but was almost undoubtedly awake. 

"Um, yeah. Got cold" 

"Looks good" he mumbled quietly (even though his eyes were closed) before his breathing became slow and steady.


	3. A huge pane in the glass

_Thomas felt a jagged, hard surface against his back as he was roughly pressed up against it. Hands were gripping his hips tightly as if they were the last lifeboat. There were purposeful lips on his neck, sucking bruises into the sensitive skin._

_He couldn't see who it was._

_His breathing was ragged and uneven as he tangled his hands in the other's hair. It was short- why short? He couldn't bring himself to care. The other's thigh was pressing between his legs- they were taller? Thomas found himself chasing the friction unapologetically._

_Moments later, the other was pulling back slightly to reveal-_

_"Gally?" He asked, perplexed and alarmed, but it tumbled from his lips as a moan. Those freckles, that hair, those_ eyes. 

And then he woke up. His eyes shot open. Light flooded in from the windows either side of the shack, but his brain barely registered it. The dream had shocked him a little bit. Why had he been making out with Gally? Why had he been enjoying it? Maybe it was just dream logic. Although... 

He coughed slightly, hoping the sound might make him forget it sooner, distract him from whatever had caused his mind to go there. He was alone in the bed, but that just drew attention to the fact that Gally must have climbed _over_ him to leave. 

"That sounded fun" a voice alerted Thomas to the fact that Gally was still in the room. Snapping his head up, his eyes cast upon the subject of his confusing dream. Gally sat on the least broken of the chairs, already lacing his boots like a morning person. He looked amused. A smirk graced his lips as he glanced up at Thomas's mortified blush. 

Trying to hide his awkwardness, Thomas groaned and ran a hand down his face, "shut up." Gally just sniggered as he stood, winking unsubtly, and ambling out of the door. It was unclear where he was going, but Thomas knew he'd be back soon. Oh God, he hadn't said Gally's name in his sleep, had he? The guy would never let him live that down. 

Shaking it off, Thomas got up, shrugging Gally's coat back onto the chair. The sun was barely over the horizon, but already the shack felt like a sauna. Not that he remembered using one, just the general concept that they exist (or existed before the whole world was turned into one). 

The day was spent observing the motionless village, boredom gripping both boys like a really tedious thriller. They watched for signs of life. Humans, game, rodents, Loch Ness Monsters, anything. Rabbits, which were shockingly common on the island, would scurry out from underneath the cabins and huts with bewildering frequency. Thomas would whack Gally on the arm and point at them. Gally would whack him right back, so much harder. But Thomas never learned. 

"Look at the little fluffy tail" Thomas swooned; eyes glued to a creature covered in fleecy fur. These rabbits were larger than the ones on the mainland, and much fiercer. They’d adapted to the heat and it occurred to Thomas that he was witnessing stages of evolution. 

"Adorable" Gally answered sarcastically, but he wasn't looking at the rabbit. 

"We should really go in and explore. I'm sure we'd have seen something by now..." 

"One night and your resolve's already gone, huh, Greenie?" Gally remarked, reminding him that just yesterday they'd been on opposing sides of this discussion. There were still things they didn't know about this brave new world, and while the precautions may have been a bit much, they were still Vince's orders. 

Eventually, Thomas reluctantly agreed with Gally, after the many threats of physical violence he made. Thomas assumed the older boy wouldn't go through with most of them but _assumed_ was still the key word there. He was a little unpredictable. 

They decided that it wouldn't hurt to take a little hike up and across the hill, seeing the village from a different angle without setting foot inside. It looked much the same, but the alleys and intricate lanes felt odd. The view from the stakeout abode was by far the best. 

Thomas unashamedly started counting squirrels out loud as they scurried up the tallest trees surrounding the village. Gally, irritated at first, began to point out ones he'd missed. Everything the boy did reminded him of the dream he'd had, the way he felt pressed up against him. 

Thomas wasn’t blind. Although he hated to admit it, he liked the way Gally looked. A lot. His hair, lighter than it had been before, had started cascading its way onto his forehead endearingly, a bit more than it had in the Glade. His freckles were like gold dust scattered across his face. His stupid, argumentative, strikingly attractive face. He was so confused, cursing his brain circus for thinking such things; he'd never been overly impressed with the boy's existence, and he was sure the feeling was mutual. 

Thomas held the notepad and pen like they were the last things on Earth as they sat on the side of the sloped hill. He was almost wishing for something to hurry up and happen. Perhaps the town could randomly burst into flames, as it looked like it had done years before. Maybe ghosts would slide through the slats in the doors, slither across the ground as the sun set. 

No, just wildlife, waves crashing in the far distance and silence, except for Gally and Thomas's conversations, which were 80 percent arguments and 20 percent gossiping. Even as he stood, realising it would soon be nighttime and that the five-minute walk was unforgiving in the dark, he willed something to happen. Nothing did. 

"How many squirrels?" Gally asked once they were back inside. They'd had just enough time to eat dinner before being plunged into static darkness. 

Thomas briefly glanced at his tally chart using the torchlight, "thirty-seven in total. Although, we might have just seen the same three over and over again. It's difficult to tell" he laughed. 

"Maybe we'll find something sturdier to count tomorrow. Anyway, you take first watch this time. Who knows, we might actually see something tonight" it clearly wasn't up for discussion, as Gally draped his jacket over the wooden chair and sat on the bed, unlacing his boots. 

"I'll try to stay awake for more than forty minutes tonight" Thomas added sheepishly. He realised then that Gally might not have remembered that he'd given up on his shift the night before, but it passed without comment. 

"Wake me up in like three and a half hours. Longer shifts are shucking awful" 

"Sure thing... 'Night handsome" Thomas said in a faux-flirtatious voice that sounded like it came straight from the 1920s, hearing Gally settle to sleep. 

"'Night gorgeous" Gally countered, voice obnoxiously low. Again, the brunette’s face flared up as a burning crimson colour. 

An hour in and Thomas was ready to bang his head against a brick wall. Time seemed to stretch out forever, lazily reaching around the clock. His patience was running thin and thoughts of the dream he'd had kept coming back to haunt him. Thankfully, Gally hadn't brought it up during the day but it was just a matter of time. 

Another half hour trudged past. Thomas couldn't take it any longer. He stood with purpose, grabbing the torch and his sword. Careful not to wake the man who would surely kill him if he knew about the boy leaving, he snuck out. A little exploring never hurt anyone (except any time he’d explored anything ever), did it? 

He felt a bit silly in just a T-shirt and jeans clutching a massive sword, but he figured no one was around (and awake) to see. It was dark enough to render him almost invisible anyway. 

He strode down the hill towards the nearest hut. The circular, thatched roof had a chimney hole cut at the side, an indication of a fireplace. Smoke had probably risen in thick plumes from the once-bustling village. 

He entered through the door, which was slightly ajar, feeling something prick his wrist. He paid it no mind. The torch beams illuminated a round space with a window, the professed fireplace, several tired shelving units, and some bare furniture. Navy blue carpet lined the floor. It was fancier than anything else Thomas had seen on the island. He had half a mind to roll it up and take it with him. 

The torch failed to highlight a discarded lamp on the floor, however, and Thomas promptly tripped over it, hurtling towards the charming rug. He landed heavily on his left arm and torso. What felt like pins and needles erupted on his skin. He looked down to asses the damaged and found that he was bloodied from the many shards of glass sticking out if him. He swore silently. 

Thomas hadn't seen at first, but transparent bits of glass littered the floor like confetti, some bigger than others. A few particularly sharp pieces had found their way through Thomas's shirt, into the tender skin of his ribcage. He plucked the broadest one out, sucking in a breath and standing shakily. He’d deal with the rest later. 

After finding a couple of ancient history books and a china plate on a shelf, Thomas found himself wandering back up the hill towards the shack. He cradled the books on his right arm, as his left still bled. Mist had started to roll in, which wasn't a surprise given the altitude. Though no danger had presented itself thus far, Thomas couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief when he arrived back at the shack in - more or less - one piece. 

Gally was awake. He did not look happy. 

"What the shuck, Greenie? I warned you. Leaving in the middle of the ni-" 

"I know, I know... It was just a couple minutes- I had to see what's out there" Thomas explained before the older boy could continue berating him. He glared at Thomas for a second before curiosity won over. 

"Well, what is out there?" Gally glanced at his bleeding arm, "glass piñatas?" He was already on his way to the first aid kit. Brenda and the few others who'd formed the medical staff prided themselves on sending each search party and expedition off with enough supplies to treat a small army. This was probably the first time it had ever been useful. 

Thomas ended up sat on the low bedframe with Gally stood in front of him, pulling out minuscule pieces of glass from his bloodied forearm. He wiped it down afterwards, getting rid of the drying blood. Thomas had to hold the torch for Gally to be able to work, and it just about lit half of the older boy's ~~concerned~~ annoyed face up. 

"Hold the light still, Greenie" 

"I am holding it still" 

"It's lopsided and keeps moving around" 

" _You're_ lopsided and keep moving around" Thomas grumbled pathetically but put more care into keeping the torch level. 

"Solid.” Gally sniggered, "you’re an idiot. Alright, arm's done, shirt off" 

He didn't wait for Thomas to answer before reaching down and tugging at the hem. He was obviously in a hurry to get it over with so he could sleep. Thomas, reserving as much dignity as possible, helped where he could. 

"Wow, at least buy me dinner first" Thomas parroted the line from a film he vaguely recalled but didn't remember watching. Gally sneered at him, throwing his shirt over the headboard. Thomas shone the torch over where his ribs were still lightly throbbing. Blood had stopped pouring, but there was still an impressive amount smeared across his skin, and several shards poked out. 

Gally shook his head, groaning in disapproval and dropped to his knees, which Thomas _was not prepared for_. The dream came flooding back to him like a fresh wave of awkwardness and he flinched, hyper-aware of their proximity. 

"You ok, shank?" Gally asked, looking up at him through his lashes, sporting that condescending smirk. His gaze lingered for a second before he began using his nails to dig the first piece of glass from the boy's delicate skin. Thomas was sure the guy was teasing him at that point, toying with him, seeing how far he could go. It was a very Gally thing to do. 

"Just perfect" he replied, wincing a little at the third sharp piece leaving his body. 

"Good that. So, you cut yourself on every available surface, but what did you actually find?" Gally was clearly expecting nothing useful, as he only raised his majestic eyebrows at the historical textbooks and crockery when Thomas pointed to them in response. At least all the glass was finally out. 

Thomas almost fainted when Gally's hand came up to his hair, running his fingers through it to shake out any fragments that may have dwelled there. Thomas ducked his head to give the boy a better angle. Gally tugged just a little too hard on the last brush and Thomas had to stop himself shivering when he raised his head to face him once more. 

"You've still got like an hour of your watch left, good luck, Greenie" Gally announced happily, winking and patting his thigh before standing. He seemed to derive enjoyment from Thomas’s reactions to his flirtatiousness, whether it was genuine or not.


	4. Dull Town

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gally gives in and our two go exploring.

The morning arrived quicker than they expected, each undertaking another gruelling three-hour watch shift before giving up and sleeping. Again, Gally's arm had found its way across Thomas as he slept. 'Slept'. 

"More than the first night, I kept hearing this squeaking sound from in the village" Thomas answered in relation to what he'd seen during his time awake. 

"So did I" Gally nodded, peering out of the window in the morning light. Nothing appeared out of place, just the barest amount of fog weaving its way between the cabins and huts. It took what felt like five years to convince Gally that they should go and investigate, even though no more than twenty minutes could have passed. 

"The whole point of a shucking stakeout is that whatever we're watching doesn't _know_ that we're watching," he'd argued, but Thomas refused to back down. He eventually got Gally to admit that he, too, was curious. They agreed to omit this part of the stakeout if Vince asked, and set out down the hill, along with their entire armoury. Gally's crossbow was slung on his back by a piece of string that had once been used to keep a sailboat afloat. Thomas gripped the sword - feeling a little ridiculous - in his right hand, swinging it haphazardly. Gally stuck to his left side for _totally_ unrelated reasons. If he was going to die, it wouldn't be at the hands of the guy who'd tripped over himself thirteen times since arriving. 

"There's broken glass in there" Thomas announced knowledgably as they passed the circular hut that he'd scratched up his arm and ribs in. It didn't hurt much, but there were little red indents all the way up to his elbow. 

Gally shook his head, "still an idiot." He'd started walking over to one of the more notable houses- maybe a leader had lived there. Somehow, the people here had acquired bricks. Actual red bricks that you build houses with. Most of the structures were comprised of wooden planks, logs and beams, while the parts more susceptible to weather were cemented with the dirty bricks. 

Thomas watched Gally prod and push the structure, clearly admiring it before breaking his gaze away and entering. The door was the same as the circular hut, but with an intact window showing a barren room. 

"Maybe people left in a hurry, took everything with them" Thomas offered. There was no furniture, not even a chair. 

Gally pointed at the far wall, which was black and singed, peeling at points, "doubt it. Looks like someone robbed them" 

Thomas agreed. Dust plastered every surface and he ran his finger along the boarded floor, "and now no one's been here for what, months? Years? Let's hope they don't come back" 

A noise cut the air, quiet enough to be Thomas's imagination, but Gally stood up straight too. It had been a croaking sound, emanating from somewhere in the village, perhaps a few houses towards the centre. The two boys listened intently for a minute, holding their breath. Silence. 

They agreed to keep searching and move on to the next hut, which was almost identical. Toasted walls and all. They wandered along what was once probably a busy walkway, going deeper into the heart of the settlement. Shacks, huts, tipis, cabins, and the occasional doghouse were randomly strewn everywhere. As if a child had dotted freckles on a princess drawing and the architects had used it at as a blueprint. 

The two drew nearer the central square, feeling uneasy at the eerie quietness. Ghouls could have sauntered out from the houses, waving their lifeless hands, and it wouldn't have surprised them. 

"Ooh. Firepit," Thomas pointed out, walking over to it and kicking a burned log, "know anyone who can tell how old this is? When it was last lit?" 

"We know the exact same set of people, dumbass" Gally was about to continue when a loud screeching noise resonated from the other side of a cabin. It sounded vicious. 

On instinct, Gally grabbed Thomas and hauled him along towards the nearest hiding place. The Number One thought on Thomas's mind shouldn't have been how strong the older boy's hand felt on his arm, or how the pressure on his glass cuts felt so good when it was Gally manipulating them. 

They found themselves in a thin alleyway between two houses, the dirt floor was tightly packed and made little noise as they caught their breath. The dead end was unfortunate, but they could fight their way out if necessary. Why were they so jumpy about a town that was clearly empty? 

"Whmm" Thomas started, but Gally's hand clamped over his mouth and he was shoved against the wall of wooden planks behind him. This was a really bad time to be reminded of the dream. He felt a sharp pain in his neck but paid it no mind. 

The screeching noise happened again, way too close this time, and Gally looked into his wide eyes from inches away. Thomas nodded, understanding, and stood straight once Gally's hand no longer covered his mouth. He raised the sword and took up a fighting stance, facing the sound, poised to fight whatever it was. A crossbow entered his vision to the left, meaning the older boy was readying himself as well. 

The two were staring at the mouth of the alley, hoping whatever made the sound didn't want to eat or maul them, or both. It wouldn’t be the first time they’d encountered such a beast. 

But instead of a mountain lion, or a tiger, or a dinosaur that didn’t get the memo, the noise enhanced to reveal- 

"A raccoon?" Gally practically yelled in relief. Thomas sagged against the wooden wall; eyes trained on the creature. It was clearly injured, barely scraping itself across the ground. Which, of course, begged the question _what injured it_? Thomas's attention was once again pulled to the slight discomfort on the side of his neck. 

"Remind me to never go on a nature walk with you..." Thomas breathed out, laughing a little. 

"The feeling's mutual, Greenie," Gally's crossbow had already lifted, launching an arrow between the raccoon's eyes. They didn't know what kind of diseases the creature had, and therefore wouldn't be able to take it back for the Kitchen team, so they left it where it lay. 

"Over halfway through our surveillance detail and the most interesting thing we've seen is a shucking raccoon" Gally remarked as they ambled back up the hill after finding virtually nothing in the village. They'd just have to observe it from afar even though they both knew that nothing would happen; this was just to appease Vince and do their part. 

"Can we name the village something? Maybe that'll give it more life..." Thomas had asked. 

They’d affectionately settled on the name Dull Town.


	5. We're too jumpy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stuff happens. Gally likes cats (you heard it here first, folks).

They got back to the shack well past midday and found that the shade provided a welcome respite from the sweltering heat. Despite the light mist and fog surrounding the lower regions, the whole village had been hot enough to fry eggs on. 

They sat outside, facing the village in all its barren glory. They figured, if something was going to gain knowledge of their presence, it already had. 

The intrusive pain in Thomas's neck kept changing like it was moving around on the skin, but when he touched it, it remained mostly smooth. The absence of mirrors had never gotten to him before, but he couldn't help wishing for one now. The ancient, greasy window wouldn't provide enough reflection, either. 

He prodded the skin, trying to figure out what was wrong, staring absently at the village in front of them. Running his palm across it didn't help much either, just made it more noticeable. Even scratching at it did next to nothing, and yet it still persisted. 

"You good?" Gally had been watching him. 

"My neck hurts" he said simply, because the combination of not knowing what the problem was, and not being able to see it was irritating him. 

"Let me have a look" Gally was already standing, helping Thomas up next to him. He led him a few feet into the sunlight, blinking at the sudden transition. Then Gally was pulling the neckline of his shirt down a little, and Thomas tilted his head to the side. He had no idea what the man was seeing. 

"What is it? It better not be a tick... it's a tick isn't it? Oh no..." Thomas couldn't help but spiral a little. He'd survived the maze, the Scorch, the Last City, and now he was going to be defeated by an arachnid barely bigger than his finger nail? 

"Easy tiger, It's just another bit of glass. Must have missed it last night." 

Thomas felt Gally scrape along the surface of the skin with his nail. The younger boy couldn’t help squirming at the painful sensation, which had become worse as the day wore on. He was met with Gally’s other hand wrapping around his throat lightly, fingers splaying across his jawline and the other side of his neck to keep him still. Thomas prayed to all the gods he didn't believe in that his face would quit heating up. He felt as Gally pinched his skin, trying to squeeze the glass out using pressure. He even tried flicking it, to no avail. Nothing worked. 

"Shuck, it's really in there, like _under_ the skin. You're royally fucked if this gets infected," Gally paused, seemingly making his mind up about something, "um... trust me on this, ok?" 

That sounded ominous. However, Thomas didn't have time to speculate, as he felt Gally dip his head down and _press his lips to his neck_ , holding the brunette still by his jaw and shoulder. He started sucking on the place where the glass was and _fuuuck_ , this guy is full of surprises... 

Thomas thought that Gally might cause his actual, physical death. In any other circumstance, Thomas would have been dutifully informing the other boy of how stupid this plan was, but he kept his mouth shut. 

Too soon, the older guy was pulling back and turning his head away to spit the small shard of glass over to the side somewhere. There's an obvious glint in his eye, like he planned the whole thing just so he could drive Thomas mad. Well it was working. 

"Don't stop" the younger boy said quietly. He held eye contact, daring him. It barely took a second for Gally to catch on, gripping Thomas's biceps tightly and walking him backwards, smirking in a way that the brunette never wanted to forget. 

No sooner had his back hit the shaded wall of the shack, had Gally's lips returned to his neck. He sucked and bit the soft skin of Thomas's throat and the younger boy didn't bother holding back a groan. It was like something had finally snapped between them. An unbearable tension was lifting and Thomas felt free despite his restricted position against the shack. 

Grasping Gally's waist with one hand and burying the other in his hair, Thomas thought back to that dream. He began to think that maybe he could predict the future like a prophet. But the real thing felt so much better; Gally pressed up against him, _wanting_ him. He'd created a horrendously obvious bruise - possibly payback for making him stay up and treat his glass wounds. It was already growing a purple colour as Gally pulled back just enough to look at Thomas's face. The older boy's tousled hair was slightly longer than it had been in the Glade, and it matched his freckles exactly right. 

"I'm gonna get so many questions..." Thomas groaned, referring to the mark blossoming on his neck. Gally just grinned, leaning down to kiss him like his life depended on it. Thomas was still dumbfounded but kissed back eagerly. Their lips moved effortlessly in tandem, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Gally’s right hand had found its way up under Thomas’s shirt while the other cupped his face. 

They were both a little short on oxygen so Gally made the pragmatic decision to pull away, actually making Thomas whine a little, "there were easier ways to get me to kiss you, you know, Greenie?" his thumb ran over Thomas's lower lip absently, "didn't have to spray yourself with glass fragments…" 

Thomas chuckled despite himself, he would delightedly fall on a hundred windows worth of glass for this moment. He found himself becoming suddenly curious about how said moment originated. 

"Were you teasing me on purpose last night?" He asked and the boy in front of him shrugged, nodding, "not complaining, but how'd you know?" 

"You were moaning my name in your sleep, Greenie, it doesn't take a Jorge to figur-" Gally's comment was cut off as Thomas kissed him again, hard. He was afraid that if the boy finished that sentence, he might actually die of embarrassment. 

Then Thomas was being led into the shack and pushed back until his calves hit the low bed frame. His knees buckled until he was sitting. Then Gally was kneeling, similar to how they'd been the night before when he’d acted as a nurse. This time, Gally was right up close, continuing kissing him and working at his belt. Thomas, a little breathless, had to tilt his head down a couple centimetres to keep their lips connected, his hands scrunched in the collar of Gally's shirt. 

Thomas would have happily carried on for the remainder of his lifetime, but a strange yowling sound erupted from the direction of Dull Town. It was loud, closer than they would have liked, maybe ninety feet from the door, at a guess. Gally jumped back (having made no progress on Thomas's belt), uncharacteristically graceless as he almost tripped over a chair. Thomas followed suit, realising he'd left his main weapon outside. He sprinted out after Gally, who'd had a similar thought. 

The older boy peered out over the packed, dusty ground as Thomas threw himself to the floor, grabbing his sword from the shade. Once again, he readied himself for battle. It had become too much of a habit.

"You cannot be serious..." Thomas heard Gally say next to him, before slumping to the floor and laughing harder than Thomas had ever heard him laugh before. It filled him with a confident joy as he followed his line of sight. 

To a cat. 

A small, black and white cat with wispy orange tufts. She was making a bit of a racket as she bounded towards the two but didn't seem distressed. 

"We're too jumpy," Thomas's hand was on his chest, catching his breath after holding it for so long. 

Twice in one day, they'd been spooked by animals. Neither of them had thought it possible that a cat could have dwelled on the island. Maybe an old settlement - the original villagers of Dull Town - had brought cats from the mainland and continued breeding them. That was only explanation Thomas could come up with, his brain still slightly hazy. 

The cat looked young, probably south of six months old, and she nuzzled against Gally's side. Uninhibited, he put his hand out and she batted it with her head. Thomas carefully put the sword down and sat next to Gally cross-legged, watching his hand run over the cat's slightly matted fur. Her ribs were showing, but she didn't look malnourished. No collar, obviously, though they didn't expect her to have one. Thomas had a feeling she was the culprit of the wounded raccoon from earlier. 

"You know, this is the first cat I've ever seen. In the three years I remember at least" Gally muttered, clearly already in love with the purring feline. She was sitting between them now, in the shade provided by the taller boy. Gally's messy hair shone in the bright sunset. 

"There were none in the Last City? Or before?" 

"Nope. Plenty of dogs - _so many dogs_ \- but no pretty kitty cats" 

Thomas was enjoying watching the usually stoic, scowling guy melt because of the small fluffy creature. Having never in his short memory used a recording device, he wanted to film the moment, tease Gally about it endlessly. Like, forever.


	6. Catalyst

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The final night undertaking the single most pointless stakeout in history.

As the sun started to set, the two got prepared for the night shifts, knowing they probably wouldn't see anything. Dull Town was really earning its name. Of course, the cat was invited in, and she contentedly accepted, instantly making a nest in one of the backpacks. White fur immediately entwined with the pack's entire surface area. 

"I'll take first watch, Greenie. Three hours sound good?" Gally asked as they took their boots off with as much precision as they could muster. There was barely enough light to see by in the dusk, making their laces resemble little black grass snakes. 

Thomas was too tired to argue that their observational efforts would inevitably be futile, and nodded. The past two nights, they'd ended up both going to sleep well before the sun was up. He suspected tonight would be the same, so he got comfortable on the bed, throwing on some loose pyjama pants he'd scavenged from the ship. It wasn't as stiflingly hot as the daytime, but the night felt warmer than it had the past few. 

Thomas's mind wondered to what his and Gally's relationship was. Friends with periodical make out benefits? Kind-of-enemies-but-not-quite who are unreasonably attracted to each other? Something more perhaps? They hadn't discussed it and he had a feeling that Gally wouldn't initiate that particular conversation. He decided to let it be whatever it was for a while, see how it developed. _If_ it developed. 

These thoughts sent him into a deep, restful sleep. The kind where you close your eyes, a grand total of _nothing_ happens, and then you wake up. Only this time, when he woke, he felt a weight suddenly cover most of his torso. He panicked a little in the darkness, but then his eyes adjusted. A slight light emanated from the torch on the floor, which was pointing towards the door as if it had fallen off the chair. The weight on top of Thomas talked in a voice that obviously hadn't been utilised for a couple of hours. 

"Your shift, Greenie. Rise and shine" Gally was laying on top of him, hips between his legs, arms braced either side of his head. He was lacking a shirt and holy fuck, even in the dim light, Thomas could see those muscles. His eyes were drawn to the rigid, circular scar on his chest from where Minho's spear hit home. He caught glimpses of other nondescript scars, pale white lines on a tanned, hardened frame. Thomas cleared his throat. He could hear the grin in Gally's voice as he continued, evidently enjoying how he could make Thomas shiver and stare so easily, "do I need to tie you down so you don't go wandering off tonight?" 

A beat. "Don't threaten me with a good time" Thomas put undue emphasis on certain words, as if subconsciously reciting a line from a song he had no way of recalling. Gally used that rare laugh that Thomas couldn't stop thinking about, delighted that _he_ caused it. 

Further confusing Thomas of the nature of their relationship, Gally pecked him on the lips before rolling over to the other side of the ridiculously tiny bed. The aluminium frame shook a little. A few seconds later, Thomas felt a palm on his shoulder, and his body began moving to the right without his permission. He only had a second to realise what was happening before he unceremoniously hit the floor. Gally was chuckling, obviously proud of having ejected Thomas from the bed. 

It took a matter of minutes for Gally's breathing to slow, and for his body to relax into the mattress. Thomas didn't watch him from the wooden chair across the room and you can't prove it. 

The cat's soft, sleepy purring almost dragged Thomas back into the realm of the unconscious, but he managed to stay awake. He honestly wanted to make the forty-minute trek back to the main camp simply so he could punch Vince. But he also wanted to hug him for acting as a catalyst in whatever was happening between himself and Gally. 

A catalyst. Thomas almost laughed aloud at his own pun, but instead grabbed the notepad to scribble down some ideas for cat names. He occasionally glanced at Dull town through the window, unsurprised to see the absence of anything remotely different or interesting. He'd grown accustomed to the various nocturnal animals over the past few nights, and mostly ignored them. 

Thomas lasted maybe an hour into pointlessly watching Dull Town for anything suspicious. He was glad this was the last night they'd be doing this before they passed on to the second stakeout relay team. He set the pad down and switched the torch off. Surely the batteries were running low. 

He crept silently over to the bed, careful not to wake Gally as he lay down beside him. Quick as lightning, the sleeping guy's arms were around Thomas like some sort of dozing trap set to engulf anything that came near it. He settled, head resting in the crook of Gally's neck. It was the first time he could remember ever feeling remotely at peace with the world. 

The two woke up in each other's arms, later than anticipated, and jumped out of bed, eager to get back to the main camp. There'd be nothing to report, but Thomas had a feeling that Vince was expecting that. 

Packing didn't take long, even with the cat getting in the way, yelling at them sporadically to let her in and out of the shack. They'd taken several souvenirs from the huts and cabins of Dull Town, even though they shouldn't have set foot in it. History books, an archaic ornament of a penguin, a shapely pebble. Then Gally found the notepad from the night before. He stood in the middle of the room, scanning it. 

"Jenifur?" he asked, impressive eyebrows raised and a small smirk playing at his lips in faux disapproval, "Meowntain, Catalina? Shucking cat name puns... You're a disgrace" 

"What about Fur Elise?" Thomas grinned. 

Gally visibly considered for a second, "Or just Elise... the Fur can be our little secret," he winked, and Thomas nodded eagerly. 

"Knock knock" someone said from outside the shack. Thomas almost rolled his eyes. Then he remembered the hickey on his neck that was surely remarkably visible. He shrugged his jacket on, ready for the inferno that the item would inflict on his torso. At least it covered the lower half of his throat. Gally exhaled out of his nose, amused, and Thomas flipped him off without even looking. 

Thomas opened the heavy door to reveal one of Frypan's cooks standing with a girl he didn't recognise. They appeared about as excited as two people readying to head into a wasp nest. Thomas felt how they looked, in his sweltering jacket. 

"Stakeout relay team?" Thomas asked, giving them finger guns. He felt strangely immature, perhaps from the relief of knowing he'd be able to sleep for a full night soon. The two nodded in affirmation, eyeing Fur Elise. 

"We're gonna try taking the cat back to Camp, provided she doesn't claw our faces off. Her name's Elise" Gally explained, winking at Thomas again. He hoped that would become a regular thing. 

"Cool," the girl muttered, her tone indicating that the situation was anything but, "watch out for snakes, we spotted a couple near the third oak from the Camp. Real unfriendly bastards." 

A few more curt pleasantries were exchanged before Gally and Thomas took their leave, bundling their backpacks over their shoulders. Elise had made herself at home in Gally's pack, refusing to move. 

"Let's get out of here. My hair feels like it's two minutes from giving up" Gally mumbled, nodding towards the door and they simultaneously marched through it. The small stream they'd been taking turns washing in had been doing a good job, but they stupidly hadn't taken a comb with them. Thomas's own hair had become something of a natural habitat too. 

A thankfully snake-less journey led them back to Camp, where they shared the lack of news with Vince. He didn’t seem in the least bit surprised and Thomas began to wonder if he’d set them up, like he’d seen something between him and Gally that they’d both missed. 

Well, they definitely know about it now.


	7. Epilogue

Two weeks of stakeouts with various different teams happen, each returning with absolutely no news. A couple more cats find their way back to the Camp though (much to Gally’s clumsily veiled delight). Vince gives Gally's team the go-ahead to start refurbishment of the village. During its renovation, Thomas is often found hanging out there under the pretence of bringing them building supplies. This later becomes part of his job as an Explorer alongside Minho. 

Gally and Thomas vaguely figure their shit out (more like horny teenagers than young adults, but hey). Moments between the two become a series of hushed events. Thomas sometimes pulls Gally into the woods to make out, inevitably finding himself pinned up against a tree, pliant to the older boy's touch. Or he sneaks into Gally's tent at night, simply to sleep next to him (an occurrence they both become miraculously used to even if they bicker constantly in the mornings). Or Gally uses his mouth for something other than arguing with Thomas, behind one of Dulton's repaired houses in broad daylight. It’s risky and they both love it. This continues until eventually they sort of realise that they're together, rather than decide anything concrete. They endeavour to keep it a secret so as not to rob Brenda and Minho of their status around the island as Cutest New Relationship. The dynamic of Neighbours Who Discreetly Share A Cat works for Thomas and Gally, anyway. 

Eventually, a quarter of the population move inland to live in Dull Town. However, the name causes quite the stir and is modified to Dulton. The least treacherous route from the main Camp to Dulton is made obvious with signs and trampled walkways. The history of Dulton remains a mystery to this day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed this extremely late addition to the Thomally side of Maze Runner, it was fun to write.


End file.
